Cold weather cooking

[Jack Fate]

Yesterday did 2 racks baby backs. Performer on porch in guarded from wind position. Outside temp 27 degrees little to no wind. Snake method used.

Normally cook @ 225-250 for 4hrs
This cook was at 275-300 as per lid thermometer.with snake on one side & ribs on other . At 2 hrs I rotated ribs & at 3hrs again . Noticed wasn't cooking very well   Ended up Cooking at 350+ last 45 mins . Ribs barely done . I'm blaming the snake method for some of this . Cold for the rest .

I'm not gonna snake in the cold no more

I kept the vent open above ribs  95% of the time
Think I should have rotated whole grill as I do  from time to time
What's you experience with cold temperatures & grilling?

[MikeRocksTheRed]

Usually the cold just makes it take more coals to get the temp in the grill up to what you norally do.  It doesn't sound like that was the problem here.  Was your thermometer over the snake, or over the ribs?  I would suggest perhaps not rotating the meat when it is that cold out so as to keep the temps stable in the kettle, but other than that I am thinking you had some really thick ribs or it was still cold after thawing.    Any other variables you can think of that might play into this?

[JDD]

I'm thinking it was your lid thermometer. I really do not trust them. You may have been running a lot lower temp than you think.

[LightningBoldtz]

Get a maverick put a probe on the grate next to the meat and measure heat that way.

[indy82z]

My guess is your thermometer also. I just snaked a butt last weekend that took about 8 hours and it just ran out of charcoal about an hour earlier than usual. I cook in the cold all the time and only notice a increase in charcoal usage.

[Jack Fate]

I'm thinking it was your lid thermometer. I really do not trust them. You may have been running a lot lower temp than you think.

If I only had one I'd agree .I have several ,
Mine are of the meat probe variety.  Also have several temp instruments for my wood stoves that I check against the weber ones.

I'm thinking the heat off the snake was just flowing up & across to vent and not circulating under & around ribs. Wood stoves pull more draft in colder temps so thinking this may be why . The temp is accurate but not at the cooking surface.

Best guess

[Jack Fate]

Usually the cold just makes it take more coals to get the temp in the grill up to what you norally do.  It doesn't sound like that was the problem here.  Was your thermometer over the snake, or over the ribs?  I would suggest perhaps not rotating the meat when it is that cold out so as to keep the temps stable in the kettle, but other than that I am thinking you had some really thick ribs or it was still cold after thawing.    Any other variables you can think of that might play into this?

I going with the last paragraph in JDD reply

I not snaking in the cold no more

Temps just to uneven with fire on just one side

Temp gauge is the center mounted meat probe variety


Cheers

[MacEggs]

I use small pieces of lump strategically placed throughout the snake.

@1buckie put me on to this, and I believe he used the term burn assurance, or burn insurance.

As already mentioned, the dome therm will be different from the grate temp.

With all that said, I don't do the snake much in the cold weather ... Mainly due to wind ...

Or, the amount of meat I was cooking was a lot and was not done at the time that I was hoping ... 

Either way, keep at it, or try other methods in the cold weather.